John c



G wm Rn uw To SE .VDL UH J.

(Nb Model.)

No. 409,122. 'Patented Aug. 13, 1889;

Inyenor Minesses.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN O. S'FURGEON, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO SAMUEL A. DAVENPORT, OF SAME PLACE.

VPIPE-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,122, dated August 13, 1889. Application filed April 16,1888. Serial No. 270,857. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN O. STURGEON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsyl- Vania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchv as will enable others skilled in the art to which 1o it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification.

My invention consists in the improvements in pipe-couplings hereinafter set forth and explained, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure 1 is a top or plan view of my improved pipe-'coupling7 partially in elevation zo and partially in section. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, the sections being detached from each other. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of one of the halves of the coupling on the line x in Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Like letters refer to like parts in all/ of the figures.

This invention is designed as an improvement on my prior invention in pipe-couplings filed January 3,1888, Serial No. 259,741.

The broad features of the invention being claimed in said case, therefore the principal objects of this invention are to provide a simple and secure locking device for steampipe couplings between railway-cars, which is adapted to be quickly coupled or uncoupled when desired, and which is adapted to automatically take up the wear and prevent leakage therefrom.

Other features of my invention appear hereinafter in the specification and claims.

In the construction of my improved pipecoupling shown, A A are duplicate halves of the coupling, cach constructed with a steam- 4 5 passage B, provided at one end with a screwcollarE, suitable to be secured to a pipe, and opening at the other end laterally at S through a longitut'linal coupling-face P.

Around the opening S, I make an annular 5o chamber S, adapted to receive a packingring H. The periphery of the chamber S', I preferably make with a slightly-inclined surface c. so that as the packing Il is forced down into the chamber S its periphery will gradually tighten against the surface c. To secure the packing-ring H in place, I make a sleeve I, provided on its inner surface with small longitudinal grooves J, in which a wrench can be inserted for turning it. The lower end of the outer surface of the sleeve I is screw- 6o threaded, so as to fit and be screwed into a screw-thread a, cut in the shell A around the periphery of the opening S. From the screwthread toward the outer end the sleeve I is made with a gradually outward-sloping surface b, so that as it is screwed into place against the sloping inner surface of the packing-ring H it wedges'against it, so as to firmly retain the -ring H in place in the annular groove or chamber S. The ripper end of this 7o sleeve I may be made with a small flange (not shown) in lieu of the outwardly-sloping surface l), if desired, the object of this construction being to so secure the packing-ring H in A place that it can be at any time readily removed and reversed in case the face of it becomes defective from use or accident or replaced with a new packing-ring.

On the end of each of the sectionsA of the coupling I provide a longitudinal extension 8o K, which is adapted to enter and fit a slot or pocket L, extending from the coupling-face P toward the collar E, so that when the parts A A of the coupling are placed together the parts K enter the slots or pockets L, so that the coupling is braced against lateral movement of the sections A A upon each other.

To prevent the pulling apart longitudinally of the coupling, I secure to the periphery P of the coupling-faces P laterally-projecting 9o flanges G G, these flanges being on the outer end of each of the sections A A, so that when the sections are brought together the flanges Gr G overlap the periphery P of the corresponding section and engage therewith as well as with small projections G thereon, so that the sections A A cannot be pulled apart longitudinally.

For locking the sections A A of the coupling together the sides N N of the slots or roo pockets L are provided with cam-shaped slots O O, adapted to receive and allow t-he bolt- Q to traverse the same. To pintles U in the sides N N, l pivot a forked lever R, the forks M of this lever being provided with camshaped slots D, through which the bolt; Q is secured, so that as the lever R is moved l'orward or back the bolt Q traverses both the slots O in the sides N and the slots D in the lever R, the inclination of these slots O and D and their relation to each other being such that as the lever R is moved from the position shown by the dotted lines to theposition shown by the full lines in Fig. l the bolt Q is gradually depressed and drawn toward thc axis C of the lever R until the bolt Qreaches the depression D in the slot D, which oper ates to lock it and prevents the leverR from moving backward and unlocking the coupling. Y

On the back side of the pro jectionsl, I secure a strong spring F, which is so inclined toward the slots O, when the parts of the coupling are placed together, that the bolts Q, in their traverse through slots O and D in locking the parts of the coupling together, operate on the sprin F to firmly compress the faces ot the packing ll together, while at the same time the elasticity ot the springs l? serves to take up all lost motion between the parts and keep the joint between the faces oi the packing ll firmly together.

The operation of my improved coupling is so obvious from the description hereinbetore given that further reference thereto is deemed unnecessary.

Therefore, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by lietters Patent of the United States, is"

l. lhe combination, in each halt' or section ot a pipe-coupling composed of duplicate halves or sections, ot a lever pivoted to each half or section at one side of the coupling faee,\vith a spring secu red to such half or section at the opposite side of the eouIViling-tace, so that when t-he two hal vesorsect ions ot the coupling are brought together the lever on each halt or section may be moved around to engage with the spring on the duplicate half or section, so as to secure the sections of thc coupling together, substantially as and t'or the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in each half or section of a pipe-coupling composed of duplicate halves or sections adapted to be coupled together, of a sliding bolt operating sidewise in cam-shaped slot-s, and a slotted lever actuating said sliding bolt in said slots,with spring mechanism on another part of such half or section, whereby the sliding-bolt mechanism of each half engages with the spring mechanism ot the corresponding half of the coupling for securing the halves of the coupling together, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The con'ibination, in cach halt or section of a pipe-coupling composed ot' duplicate halves or sections adapted to be coupled together, of a locking-lever having cam-shaped slots therein, with a sliding bolt operating in the slots in said lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The eombination,in each halt or section ot a pipe-coupling composed of duplicate halves or sections, of ears N N, having slots therein, with the forked lever R, having the slots D therein, and the sliding bolt- Q, substalitially as and for the purpose set lforth.

5. The combination, in each halt or section of a pipe'coupling composed of duplicate halves or sections, of the pocket or slot l) and the sides N N thereof, having slots therein, the slotted lever l, and sliding' bolt (2 with the projection K and spring mechanism l? thereon, substantially as and fortl1e] mrpose set forth.

ln testimony whereol' l a'iix my signature in presence ot two witnesses.

JOHN C. STURGEON.

Witnesses:

il'. J. (iunrzn, li. N. S'rUncEoN. 

